


Yuri!!! on Icing (Or how Yuuri Katsuki had his cake and ate it too)

by wecarryoninmindpalaces



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Additional Tags to Be Added, Bakery!AU, Cake decorating, Eventual relationship, M/M, Same age difference as canon, Slow Burn, VictUuri, Victor and Yuuri run their own bakeries, Victor is Victor, Yuri is Victor's apprentice, Yuuri is Yuuri, set in the US, slight OtaYuri if you squint, viktuuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-19 20:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9458309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wecarryoninmindpalaces/pseuds/wecarryoninmindpalaces
Summary: Katsuki Yuuri, a rising star in the world of cake decorating, starts a tentative collaboration effort with his idol, celebrity cake decorator and judge Victor Nikiforov. Now if his idol's bratty protégé, his Instagram obsessed best friend, and their local shopkeeper could mind their own business until Cake Fair- well, that would be a sign of the apocalypse. Or: the bakery!AU no one asked for.





	1. The Sweet Haven

**Author's Note:**

> So this is based off of trost's "Yuuri on Icing!!!" comic- but it ran away from me because why not have Victor as the cake industry's darling. I just so happened to sprinkle (ba dum tss) what bit of knowledge I have on cake decorating after working in a supply store very VERY similar to the one in this fic (cough major inspiration cough). Enjoy!

"Fondant, yellow mix, gum paste, tylose..." a man mumbles to himself, shoving his list in his pocket as he thrust the door open to a shop that smells like guava and freshly baked macaroons. _Gotta love Mondays._ he fondly notes.

"Hi, Mr. Katsuki!" a girl on a ladder beamed from the middle of the sales floor.

"Kitt, how many times must I tell you to call me Yuuri?" the older, but not by much, man blushed.

"Gotta tell me one more time, then." she chuckled as she hopped off her perch, tucking the ladder away in the corner of the store. "So what're we looking for today? Boxes, toppers, food coloring?"

"Actually I wanted to know if you had any cutters that could match this flower?" he pulled up a picture on his phone.

"Daisy? Really? Yuuri, you have a daisy cutter from that communion cake you made last month- don't you?" she raised an eyebrow.

"It's a camomile. And actually I made all those daisies by hand." he smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "The night before." he mumbled under his breath.

"You WHAT?!"

"M-my budget was tight!" Yuuri squeaks out as he wrings his hands nervously.

"Unreal. Yuuri Katsuki, twenty-three year old world renowned cake decorator with multiple patches on his chef coat, makes two dozen daisies by HAND the night before a delivery!" she threw her own hands in the air as she made her way to the back wall covered in cutters. "Here, PME's set makes a nice variety of sizes AND it has a veiner. No more late nights of flowers for you. Consider it a gift." she wagged a finger, plopping it into his palm.

He only smiled, nodding. "Thank you, really. I do have a couple more things for this week though..." and whipped out the kanji chicken scratch he called a shopping list.

An hour and half later the counter was filled the brim with fondant, gum paste, and cake mix among other tiny tools and decorations.

The pair laughed as she rang him out. "The boss is out for the day, but I'll tell her you said hi. Total's one eighty-eight- oh, hi Mr. Nikiforov!" the door had swung open with a whoosh and in stepped a tall man with silver hair and lithe physique.

"Good afternoon Kitt!" Mr. Victor Nikiforov waved to her, his Russian accent thick on his tongue. "I take it Yakov called ahead?"

"I've got your order together in the back, let me ring out Mr. Katsuki and I'll grab it for you. Check out the new icing from Renshaw- I think you'll like it!" she called as Victor lazily waved an arm in acknowledgment while he wandered through the store. "Yuuri, say hello!" she whispered frantically, but he only shook his head in embarrassment. "Oh, Mr. Katsuki, didn't you say you needed a new pan for the shop? You forgot to grab it." she raised her voice as he frantically waved his arms in surrender.

"What size does he need, I can get it!" Victor called from the back, totally oblivious.

"A-ah, no I'm fine I don't need it today!" Yuuri's voice finally resumed working as he swiped his business credit card and tried his best to ignore the frown on his friend's face. "But thank you!" he began piling his supplies onto a small flatbed by the door. "I'll see you next week, Kitt!" and pushed his way to the small work van outside The Sweet Haven Supply Store.

Victor popped his head around the corner as she made her way back to the office to collect his order. "That man, who is he?"

"Yuuri Katsuki, runs  _Yu-topia Bakery_ about twenty minutes from here with his sister and a friend." she wheeled out his specifications on a dolly. "He sends most of the profits back home to his parents- umm they're in some little town by the sea the name escapes me." she waved a hand. "Sweet guy, really talented. Y'know he got invited to the first Cake Fair as an instructor?"

The Russian tilted his head, his fringe obstructing his line of sight. "Ah, yes, I remember seeing him outside of my own classes." he smiled softly.

Kitt sighed wistfully. "So jealous, I had to watch the shop. Yakov said he'd be paying via invoice, you want me to help you get this in the truck?"

"I'll supervise!" Victor's oddly heart shaped smile was enough for the shopkeeper to accept the fact that she'd be doing all the heavy lifting.

* * *

_Vkusno Patisserie_ was right down the block from The Sweet Haven, leading directly into the city's "ritzy" district. Its twenty-seven year old owner Victor Nikiforov was a world class sugar artist born, raised, and trained in Russia. Among various accolades and titles he was the world's youngest chocolatier at eighteen, a spokesperson for a major confectionary brand at twenty-one, and one of the youngest judges on Food Network's Cake Wars.

"Oi, Victor!" a short blond man barked as they put away their order. "You told me you'd teach me your gum paste recipe this week!"

"I don't recall." the older man tapped his lip in confusion. "Why would I give away my secrets to a child who could easily exploit my trust?"

"I'M THE SAME AGE YOU WERE WHEN YOU STARTED!" he roared.

Victor's smile continued to stretch. "But you aren't ready, Yuri. You didn't even place in last month's convention."

"Who makes a cake theme "agape" anyway?!" Yuri was ready to claw his eyes out. Talking to Victor was like talking to a wall. Or a small child. Or a small child coloring on a wall.

"Tell you what." he tapped his chin, "You win at the Cake Fair this year, and I'll teach you everything I know." he extended his hand out. "Deal?"

Yuri only smirked, clasping his hand in his mentor's. "Deal!"

From the manager's office, if you listened hard enough, you could hear Yakov, Victor's accountant, groaning about retirement and finding a nice cottage far away from the city.


	2. SoFlo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri's friends are as supportive as ever and Victor just does whatever he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some vocabulary and phrases for this chapter!  
> Fondant: a thick rolled icing that covers a cake. Brands mentioned include Satin Ice (a popular American brand) and Renshaw (a popular U.K. brand new to the US market)  
> Gum paste: a formula similar to fondant, but hardens and retains it shape. Used mostly for flowers and cake toppers.  
> Caljava: a real-life company out in California that makes fondant, gum paste, and premade gum paste flowers

"So Yuuri, tell me about your design."

"Well, the theme for this convention was improvement." Katsuki Yuuri drummed his fingers along the seam of his pants. January had bled into February which had flowed into late March- and the last major convention before wedding season and the Cake Fair.

"So you took the first cake you ever entered into competition as inspiration." one of the judges shorthanded at their clipboard.

"C-correct! I extended it by two tiers, I used a traditional rolled fondant versus a marshmallow fondant- and I used styrofoam and dowels this time." a tinge of pink dusted his cheeks. "Five years changes a lot."

"Mm." the judge, whose name tag read Georgi Papovich, "Fondant used?"

"Ah, Renshaw."

"Interesting. Good luck, Katsuki."

"Thanks Georgi."

The navy and silver five tier display cake was adorned in little edible music notes and freehanded black piping designed like an abstract musical score, a cake topper shaped after the forte symbol carved into the top, a far cry from the three tier disaster that nearly killed his career before it even started five years ago.

SoFlo was a relatively new convention out in Miami, and Yuuri didn't mind the trek to the Southeast so much as he minded leaving his bakery, his _baby_ , in the hands of his best friend Phichit Chulanont, aka Instagram famous cookie decorator @phichitthecookiemonster. Sure, he trusted him like a brother, but all he could picture was the bakery up in flames as the Thai man took a selfie and tagged it # **weburnedthecakeandeverythinginsidetoo**. His sister, Mari, was somewhere in the vendor hall chatting with potential sponsors and endorsements as his representative of sorts. Never hurt to get free product, especially when rent was getting higher by the month and he had been seriously considering letting Phichit go after peak wedding season.

He scanned the hall for any signs of a certain silver haired Russian and his short, angry apprentice- to his relief he saw neither. The cake, which Yuuri titled "Wrap the City in Blue", was actually inspired by a jazz themed commission Victor posted to his Instagram back in 2011 or so. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, or so they say, but in the cake world to lack originality is almost a mortal _sin_.

" _Yuuri!_ "

"Yuko!" Yuuri nearly jumped out of his skin. "What're you doing here?!"

"We closed for the weekend since almost all of our clients are here. Plus Takeshi is one of the judges, he's making his way around." Yuko Nishigori stepped back to marvel his display piece. "I'm in love, it screams tribute to Victor's "Rhapsody" cake!"

He scratched the back of his head. "You think so?"

She was taking pictures from every angle, at one point army crawling on the floor. "Absolutely! It's a shame he's not here! You know-" she mumbled out of any bystander's earshot, "You should really come visit Orlando soon, the triplets miss you."

Axel, Lutz, and Loop were poised to either become figure skaters or cake decorators. A lot of people didn't realize it, but Yuko was something of a child prodigy in the world of figure skating. She only stopped after a bad landing onto her hip at age twenty caused her to go through physical therapy for almost two years. By then she was at peace with her legacy, and in that time frame she was self taught in designing cakes. She thanked YouTube and her husband in an interview she did for CakeMaster not too long after.

"Wow, would you look at that! That's progress right there." a deep voiced cut through the chatter. "Glad to see you made it, Yuuri." and threw the younger man in a headlock.

"Nishigori!" he squeaked, wriggling his way out. "You too!"

"You and Yuko need to catch up- she's been chomping at the bit since you got off the plane- go walk the vendor hall for a couple hours- I'll call when we're ready for awards."

And just like that Yuko took off with Yuuri in tow, rambling on about a cake that had a literal beating heart.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at _Vkusno_ , Yuri was ready to maim Victor. He didn't care how talented his teacher was, didn't care how many girls would bemoan the loss of their idol's beautiful face. He had refused to go to SoFlo despite being invited on behalf of the convention owners and his sponsors. His reason?

"I pick and choose where I go, they understand I have a business to run and a staff to keep in check."

Yuri huffed, his hair pulled back in a top knot. "Then do you want to explain why the Katsuki siblings are there?! They left Phichit in charge of Yu-topia, fucking Phichit!"

"Phichit is a decorator just like us. Except he does everything online and doesn't actually sell his cookies, he sells the idea of his cookie. Which is probably why his profit margins are exponentially high due to ad revenue and low production cost..." Victor was casually walking away from the blast zone before the young man officially lost it. "We've got a tasting in twenty, make sure everything is ready to go! This is Johnny's fourth one we can't fool him anymore."

At nearly closing time Victor was scrolling through his social media feed, cake after cake pop after cupcake with a dash of personal posts- but then he saw The Sweet Haven's newest post.

It was Yuuri Katsuki next to a huge blue display cake with certificate in hand and gold medal around his neck at SoFlo with the caption: "Congratulations to Katsuki Yuuri of @yu-topiabakery on his gold medal piece "Wrap the City in Blue"! We are proud to be your supply store!" Over two thousand likes in a little under three hours.

He stared a little bit longer than the average decorator, zooming in and out to catch little details and flaws. After a good five minutes of analyzing and comparing pictures, Victor wasn't sure whether to be flattered or be miffed. He chose flattered.

* * *

Monday came around, and Victor popped his head into The Sweet Haven around noon asking if Kitt had seen Yuuri yet.

"He was sleeping off the jet lag last I heard." the younger woman sat on the edge of the counter. "Phichit had the shopping list earlier this morning. They've got like five wedding cakes and a bat mitzvah for this weekend, so Phichit is doing all the baking today and tomorrow and I just placed a floral rush order with Caljava on their behalf."

"He's that bad at flora?" Victor picked up a display flower, a hibiscus, and gave it a twirl.

"Quite the opposite- Yuuri just doesn't have enough time in the day to do all of them. So we cut it down to just having to do these rainbow peonies a gay couple saw on Instagram." she was exasperated, "One bride wants sprigs of baby's breath, another wants literally half of her cake covered in red roses, the bat mitzvah wants lilies everywhere- you get the idea. I know he likes having control over everything he puts in and on his cakes, but he's gonna burn out if he keeps going like this. Or go under." she mumbled the last part under her breath, but not quietly enough for Victor to not catch.

The Russian tilted his head, "Kitt, do you have a picture of those rainbow peonies?"

* * *

Yu-topia Bakery was closed for the night when someone banged on the door. Mari went to investigate, but when she got there all she found was a pink bakery box, like the ones they used in the shop. Inspecting its contents, she snorted. "Yuuri!"

"Hm?" her little brother padded downstairs from their apartment.

"Someone must be looking out for you."

He took the box and popped it open. It was lined with foam and on top rested six large rainbow peonies and a card.

_Caljava has nothing on me. -B_

Yuuri's brows knitted in confusion, "Who was it?"

"Dunno, they were on the doorstep." Mari shrugged. "You should put them in the workshop and get back to bed- we've got a long week ahead of us." and with that Yuuri slid the box onto a high shelf and made his way back to bed.

"Wait, who do we know whose name starts with a B?"

"Just go to _bed!_ "


	3. Vkusno and Yu-topia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our bakers get ready for Cake Fair and Yuuri finally has to talk to his idol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple terms and phrases for this chapter!  
> Fondant: a thick rolled icing that covers a cake. Brands mentioned include Satin Ice (a popular American brand) and Renshaw (a popular U.K. brand new to the US market)  
> Luster Dust: a sparkly glitter used on cakes for detailing. Can be edible. Gets EVERYWHERE.  
> Gum paste: a tweaked formula from fondant, but hardens quickly and retains it shape. Normally used for flowers, cake toppers, and nonedible pieces on a cake.

"So I think we might be better going with a fondant cake. It needs to be gluten free, sugar free, soy free, and nut free. Oh and vegan."

Victor hated consultations. Like, _hated_ consultations. Not because he didn't like being told what do, no that was actually quite refreshing. No, it was because brides, specifically American brides, were absolutely delusional.

"Ms. Adams- I can't do that."

"You can't do it or you won't do it." she frowned.

He held in a huff and instead smiled, showing her his sketch and notes. "I won't do it, it doesn't match my style. I do elaborate, romantic, rich, decadent cakes. You're looking for a hole in the wall hipster bakery somewhere in Palo Alto." his accent grew thicker with every syllable. "Just out of curiosity, how many portions did you need?"

As if he hadn't insulted her, Ms. Adams just batted her lashes. "Well I wanted a ten layer cake, the reception itself is about seventy-five people."

Victor fought the urge to throw her out of the bakery, his smile growing colder. "This isn't going to work, I'm sorry." _I'm not sorry_. "I'm sure you can find a specialty baker for your project." _but it sure as hell won't be me_. "I wish you all the best!"

Ms. Adams gave a small smirk he assumed was supposed to be a smile as she made her way out the door, slamming it behind her.

Yuri popped up from behind the counter with a towel in hand. "Thought she'd never leave."

"And that, Yuri, is how you tell a client no." Victor grinned, sliding out of the lone booth in the back of the shop to lock the door behind her. "When you become famous enough, that is. Now!" he clapped his hands. "Time to plan our entry for Cake Fair! Kevin from Satin Ice sent me an e-mail, the theme this year is the 2018 Winter Olympics. The winner will recreate the cake for the U.S. Olympic team next year. I have a couple ideas, but I want you to sketch whatever you like today. This will be your first major piece, a catalyst for the rest of your career. Since today is Sunday, and the shop is closed to the public, I want you to focus on only this today. We will go to The Sweet Haven for supplies next week."

Yuri plucked a notepad and pencil off the shelf before grabbing his messenger bag, "Alright, Victor I'll see you tomorrow then."

"You're not going to work here?" the older man pouted, leaning over the counter like a wounded animal.

"You said to take this seriously, so I'm going to go to Otabek's."

"But Otabek isn't going to help!"

"I know, that's why I'm going." the blond deadpanned "Later." and headed north without another word, leaving Victor to himself in the bakery.

Five years. Five years he had been running this place. The first three as a very successful quickservice bakery for pastries and cookies and readymade cakes. The past two he only booked private events and custom orders for the social elite. Of course, he was also out hosting various classes all over the world and guest speaking and his judging stint on the Food Network didn't hurt either. Victor Nikiforov, the man that never stood still, his colleagues joked, if he stayed in one place for too long he'd surely combust.

With that in mind, he locked up for the day, got in his Mercedes and drove south. Before long he was driving past _Yu-topia_ _Bakery_ and without much thought to his or anyone else's safety slammed on the brake. Parking in the back, Victor realized he had never made it out of town to visit. Not during their opening week or even when Yuuri and Phichit hosted their annual gingerbread holiday party (which was a sight to behold according to everyone and anyone in attendance). Not like he got an invitation, anyway.

The shop was open until two, in fact, he made it just before closing. The soft chime of a bell could be heard as he stepped into the tiny bakery. Two high top tables for standing and a small booth by the window. The walls were pastel blue with definitions of various traditional Japanese confections written in black paint in English, kanji, and romanji. On the wall behind the counter was a picture of Yuuri Katsuki and an interview from a local magazine among other certificates and medals. In the glass display case by the stairs was "Wrap the City in Blue", the decorator's latest winning piece.

"Welcome in!" someone yelled from the back of the house, "We'll be right with you!" and then a sudden, "LIFT!" and just like that Yuuri Katsuki was waddling around the back carrying a sturdy box with a tiered white fondant cake dotted with-

"Rainbow peonies." Victor murmured as he moved towards the back corner, attempting to make himself less recognizable.

Phichit rounded the counter with keys in hand, using their fire extinguisher as a door stop, "You're doing great, Yuuri! Watch the curb!" the two slid the box into the back of the cookie decorator's Chevy Sonic, which was also decked out in _Yu-topia_ advertising. "Alright, last stop of the weekend! I'll call you when I'm on my way back!" and sped off as his friend gave a final wave.

"Sorry about that, how can I- oh my GOD!" Yuuri stopped short upon realizing he was standing alone, covered in luster dust, in his rinkydink bakery, with the one and only Victor Nikiforov. "V-Vitctor! Hi! Oh my god, is this about the cake? It's about the cake." he wrung his hands and looked in every direction other than his idol's line of sight.

Victor chuckled, "No, Yuuri, I'm not here about the cake. ...Actually I am here because of the cake." he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

The Japanese man obviously didn't read the subtext, "I should've called, I'm sorry, but my assistant said it wouldn't be a big deal-" and proceeded to speak in Japanese at lightning speed.

The Russian stepped into what Americans would call one's "personal bubble", "I'm not mad, Yuuri." he put a calming hand on the other's forearm.

"Oh."

"I wanted to know if you would be interested in a collaboration for Cake Fair?"

"OH." a scarlet blush crept up Yuuri's neck all the way to the tips of his ears as the words sunk in. "...Wait, what?!" ah, there was the panic.

"Cake Fair! I want your help! You got the theme e-mail from Kevin, yes?"

"Ah, Kevin and I don't really talk." Yuuri bit his lip. "I thought the theme competition was by invitation only?"

"It is! And I'm inviting you!" Victor's heart shaped smile was in full force. "You would get credit and advertising for your shop, of course. And you'd come with me to Orlando for the exhibition and the classes! Yuuri Katsuki, you have to come, I won't let you say no!"

Yuuri sighed in resignation, "It's in October, right?"

"So you'll do it?" Victor held out his hand to shake.

The younger man gave a small smile, "Yeah I'm in." and reached out to shake his idol's hand before getting yanked into a bear hug.

"I knew you'd say yes, Yuuri!" The Russian was beside himself with happiness. "As they say, three heads are better than one!"

"...Wait- who's the third?"

"Yuri! Plisetsky!"

Twenty-three year old world renowned cake decorator Katsuki Yuuri's heart plunged into his stomach to be eaten by acid and anxiety.

Oh _shit_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The actual theme for this year's Cake Fair hasn't been released yet, but for plot device sake it's the Winter Olympics. Woo!


	4. Early Morning at Vkusno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Victor can't tell Yuri is going to destroy what little self confidence Yuuri has left, then he's blinder than everyone thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a quick "bridge" chapter of sorts, we'll get into the serious decorating and "politics" per se in chapter five.

"You did WHAT?!" Yuri's shriek could be heard down the block as he waited for Victor to open the shop. 9:07. They were supposed to be inside getting orders prepared at 8:30.

"You need to work around different minded people- that's how you learn!" his boss was five minutes out- Victor Nikiforov was many things. Punctual wasn't one of them.

"In a private class or a Q&A, sure," the younger man seethed, "NOT WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE MY PROFESSIONAL DEBUT!"

"Yuri?" a soft voice called behind him. "Plisetsky, right?"

He whipped around and found himself staring down the reason for his early, and very angry, phone call. "Just get your ass over here." he spat in Russian and hung up. "Tch. That's me. And you're the other Yuri." he leaned against the door of the shop. "I'm going to be honest with you: You shouldn't be here. Just tell Victor you changed your mind and go back to your hovel of a shop. We don't need you."

Yuuri bit back a gulp, "I-"

"Good morning, Yuri! And Yuuri!" a perky Victor called from his car, parking in the rear of the building.

The Japanese man took a staggering breath. "Victor knows what he's doing-"

"Not really."

"-so we should respect his decision-"

"Nope." Yuri whipped out his phone. "Not happening."

At this point Yuuri was a little more than relieved when Victor rounded the corner, his normally waist length hair pulled up in a messy bun and keys in hand. "Hope you weren't standing around for too long! I tend to get caught in traffic." unlocking the door and ushering the other two inside. "We have a consultation at noon, but that gives us plenty of time to go over your ideas! Sit in the booth in the back, I'll make coffee- unless, Yuuri I have tea."

"Uh, I'm fine, thank you." Yuuri's voice was barely above a mumble.

Victor shrugged, "If you change your mind there's a kettle under the counter." and turned on his heel towards the Keurig machine.

Yuri huffed, pulling papers of varying sizes and designs out of his messenger bag. "Katsuki, show me your sketches."

Yuuri's knee jolted against the table. "W-what?"

"Your sketches. For the cake. You speak English, right?" he asked flatly.

"Um, actually, I don't- sketch, I mean." the older man blushed. "I do descriptions and measurements. If I need concept art I have Phichit."

"Unreal." he spat. "A cake decorator that can't draw. It's like an ice skater that can't do a quad." the pang of rejection didn't go unnoticed.

Victor chose to return with two cups of black coffee and a couple packets of pink sweetener. "I realize this is going to take some adjustments. I also realize you're both Yuri, so from now on Yuri Plisetsky will be known as, uh, Yurio! Yes, that's it..." he shrugged at the uneven amounts of shock and disgust on their faces, "Yuuri is our guest and we will treat him as such. Right, _Yurio_?" he smiled that stupid heart shaped smile Yurio hated so much.

"Hn."

"Now Yuuri, tell me about your design."

* * *

"THAT SHITHEAD!"

"Mm hmm."

"That- that PIG is stealing everything I've worked so hard for! Victor liked his idea more! He didn't even sketch he just described it! How does he expect us to design a cake we can't even see?!" the sun was setting as Yuri paced back and forth in the small living space Otabek Altin called home.

"Mm hmm."

"This was supposed to be my year! My cake! I'M Victor's protégé! I've been following him since I was _ten_! Where was Katsuki the past five years?! Victor never talked about him, not once!"

"Yuri."

"What?!"

Otabek patted the space on the couch. "Sit." the younger man flopped down unceremoniously. "Sit _up_ , I want to try something." he propped himself up on a pillow, the Kazakh man grabbed a brush and began dragging it through his thick blond hair. "Keep talking."

He groaned, "I want to know what makes him so special. His recipes are subpar, his only employee is obsessed with his phone, he has no sponsors- Yow!" his friend had hit a particularly nasty knot.

"Is that all?"

"No!"

"Keep going, then." his nimble fingers deftly braided along his temple before pinning it into his ponytail.

"...His fucking FLOWERS, Otabek!"

"Mmmmm hmmm...."

By the time fifteen year old protégé of Victor Nikiforov Yuri Plisetsky was done ranting, eighteen year old culinary student Otabek Altin had perfected his French braid five times over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for long haired Victor, the man is so pretty. It's 25% of the reason why the ladies like him so damn much. 
> 
> A little more info on Otabek: he's a culinary student with an interest in Asian cuisine. He isn't really a fan of sweet treats, but if Yuri asks for his help from a baking and flavor standpoint he'll give his brutally honest opinion. He's known Yuri since he was fifteen after meeting him at a culinary summer camp when Yuri was invited into the higher age bracket.


	5. Dinner at Minako's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Victor celebrate a job well done and visit an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crawls out of cave presenting longest chapter to date- or what feels like it anyway.* Take it and leave kudos and comments (please)! 
> 
> -also read the notes at the end!-

_**April** _

The city was cool and sunny, the days slowly growing longer and the wedding cake orders coming in droves. Yu-topia was the subject of a documentary for NHK News, much to the Katsuki elders' delight. Vkusno had landed a high profile wedding cake; which landed on the cover of People, but Victor wasn't one to brag- instead he did an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

"And ET was able to chat with celebrity cake decorator Victor Nikiforov about designing the cake that is proving to be the biggest trend of the season." Nancy O'Dell beamed from the bakery's television mounted in the corner.

"This is one of my favorite cakes to date." Victor nodded slowly, his hair up in a low ponytail and his camera ready smile in place as pictures of the cake faded in and out. "Kate wanted a clean and classic, yet fun cake for her and Justin's day- so we formulated a shade of off-white fondant that matched her dress and did what looks like a simple, arguably minimalist, four tiered cake from the front. We brought on Yuuri Katsuki to design and arrange the roses that flowed out the back. When she saw it she said it was too beautiful to eat!" the video packaged closed out with Victor caught in a silent slow-mo laugh.

"A beautiful cake indeed!" Nancy's voiceover parroted almost mockingly. "Now onto a more somber-"

Phichit turned off the TV and stared down his boss incredulously. "Yuuri. Why didn't you tell us."

Yuuri had nearly spat out his water, "He told me it was for a neighbor!" he blushed furiously. "If I had known I'd have taken it more seriously! Wh-!"

_Vrr vrr vrrrrrr! Vrr vrr vrrrrrr!_

"It's Victor what do I do?!" he screeched as if his phone would burst into flames.

"Well answer it!" Phichit wasted no time in snatching up the phone and pressing the speaker button. "Hi Victor, you're on speakerphone!"

"Hello everyone! Yuuri, did you like my shoutout?" Victor sounded far too pleased with himself.

"Victor, why did you lie to me?!" Yuuri's voice and panic were rising.

"What do you mean? I never lie."

"You told me that cake was for your neighbor!"

"It's true, Justin's summer home is two doors down from my condo!" they could hear him beaming. "They absolutely adored the cake- and I couldn't have done it without you, Yuuri!"

"V-Victor you should have told me! I'd have taken it more seriously!"

"If I had told you, you would've psyched yourself out." was his sobered response. "We can't have that now can we?"

"...No, no we can't." he smiled ruefully.

"Oh- congratulations on your documentary, by the way! I found it with English subtitles! It was a little short for my liking, but it put you in a great light! Who knows, you might outshine me by Cake Fair." the Russian man teased.

Phichit silently squealed and slapped his friends's arm in excitement and Yuuri could only smile sheepishly. "Oh, uh, thank you! Speaking of- what's up with Yurio? His last couple posts had me worried."

"...Yurio is taking a leave of absence to focus on his studies." was Victor's curt reply.

* * *

 

_"You bring in the pig for the wedding cake, but not me." Yuri's voice was deathly calm. It was only a couple hours after the cake was delivered, an early Saturday night, but Victor had shared a picture to a group chat consisting of himself, a cupcake artisan, Otabek, Yuri, and a couple other colleagues. This proved to be a mistake._

_"Now Yurio-"_

_"That's not my name!" he snapped with a fist slammed into the counter. "You have me doing menial tasks whenever Katsuki is around and even when he's not you do everything yourself! What is it about him that warps your values?! Even Yakov is noticing your behavior- you know, the one who couldn't tell when you overhauled the dining room!" he yanked Victor by the shirt down to eye level, "You told me if I won Cake Fair you'd teach me everything you knew." he seethed. "I don't think your knowledge is worth it anymore." and on that sour note he stormed out of the shop, heading south._

* * *

 

Yuuri bit the inside of his cheek. "I'm sorry, Victor."

"No matter, we should still celebrate!" if the pep in his voice was forced no one would have guessed. "I have contacts at almost every restaurant in the city, it shouldn't be difficult to get a table. Just say where and I'll come get you!"

"He'll text you with the place!" Phichit chimed in as the Japanese man nearly fell off his chair in shock. "See you soon, Victor!" and hung up before going off like a firecracker. "Oh my god you're going on DATE with VICTOR!"

"It's not a date!" Yuuri cried.

"...Oh my god- we need to find you an outfit." he frowned, ignoring his friend's wail of distress.

* * *

 

"Oh god no not that ugly thing again!" a female voice screeched. "I thought I told you to burn that?!"

"Kitt it's my only tie!" Yuuri whined.

"Screw the tie- I'm taking you to Neiman Marcus on Sunday!" her pixelated face was scrunched up in disdain. "Where are you going again?"

"Minako's!" Phichit cheered over FaceTime. "New Japanese fusion restaurant not too far from Vkusno."

"No need for the tie, Yuuri, chuck it. ...Try those jeans your butt looks great in. The Levi's."

"KITT?!"

"What? They do. And grab the navy sweater you only wear when Phichit puts you on camera." Yuuri complied, "Oh, you should wear your those TOMS brogues I got you for Christmas! Classy, yet casual."

"What's Marilyn gonna do when you finish your fashion merchandising degree?" Yuuri teased, pulling his outfit together.

"Chain me to the wall so I can't leave." she laughed. "I think my work here is done. Enjoy your evening with Victor, you deserve it! And uh- call me if you can't make it in to the shop tomorrow." and with a wink she was disconnected.

Phichit took the moment to laugh, "Should we have mentioned it's not a date?"

He shook his head, "Fujoshi. That's Kitt's new name." they couldn't help giggling before hearing the horn of a very expensive car outside Yu-topia. "Well, that's my cue."

* * *

 

Minako's could have been mistaken for a club with its pulsing dance soundtrack and colorful decor Victor decides as the two are escorted to a booth on the second floor overlooking the circular bar.

The man of the hour, Yuuri, of course, whispered something in the hostess' ear that made his whole face light up and skirt his way through the crowd.

"What'd you do?" Victor leaned back into the soft leather seat.

"I mentioned we would tip well." he joked, unfurling his napkin. "You have to try the Godzilla roll and the drunken lobster roll." he snapped his chopsticks before tapping at the Russian's menu. "And there's one thing that isn't-"

"Yuu- _ri_!" a voice sang, or cut depending on one's taste, through the hum of the dining room. "I thought I saw you come in!" 

"Minako-sensei!" he leapt out of the booth, "I hoped we could steal you away for a moment!"

"My chefs are the best in the city, I can leave them be for one little dinner rush." the owner smirked as she slid into the booth with Yuuri, "What're we in the mood for tonight, boys?"

"The Godzilla roll and the drunken lobster roll sound fun." Victor found his voice again, "And I guess... a french kiss martini?"

Minako's grin was nearly catlike, "Excellent choice. Yuuri?"

"Just the usual." he beamed.

She clapped her hands happily and flagged down their waiter with detailed instructions before sending him off. "So how long has this been going on for?"

"A little over a month." Victor's smile was blinding. "This is the first night off we've had in a while, between the shops and other events- it's nice to get out and enjoy ourselves! I love the atmosphere, by the way, it's so lively."

"We put a lot of thought into it, nearly two years of work and five years off my life- ah, thanks Paul." drinks were served: Victor's martini, a bottle of sake for Minako, and for Yuuri just water.

"Yuuri you should celebrate! Order a drink!" Victor implored before taking a sip of his own, "...fantastika!"

Minako only snickered, "Ah, Yuuri doesn't like to drink. Not since the incident. But I'm sure he'll tell you that story the closer you get." the confused expression on the Russian forced her to backtrack. "It's nothing bad, he just doesn't like to talk about it." she smiled sweetly as her friend's cheeks grew as red as their napkins.

"So how did you meet Yuuri?"

"While I was in culinary school, I used to do cooking lessons in Hasetsu for extra cash. Yuuri's family rented out their event space at Yu-topia in exchange for free lessons- he was about thirteen when I first met him. Now look at us ten years later!" she knocked back a shot of sake.

"Wait- Yu-topia?"

"It's an onsen, one of the last if not the last one in Hasetsu."

"I think Victor's confusing it for my bakery; I named it after the onsen." he answered to his mentor. "Because it's all mine and I will probably die there." he gave a grim smile, which only caused Victor to squirt his cocktail out of his nose and Minako to cackle.

A wok filled with noodles and a bowl of miso soup big enough to share was placed in the center of the table along with smaller tableware.

"I'm sure you're both starving by now; I don't know about you, but Yuuri forgets to eat when the shop gets busy." Minako side-eyed him for good measure.

Victor nodded thoughtfully, gathering his noodles around his chopsticks. "I have those days, though not as many as I used to. That's what happens when you're by appointment only."

The trio discussed Minako's menu and the location itself, along with the history of Vkusno, between bites and slurps. Before long, their initial plates were replaced by three platters of sushi, two salad plates, a bowl of marinated vegetables, and another decent sized bowl placed in front of Yuuri.

"Katsudon Mama no Yōna." Minako winked, "Literally meaning "Katsudon like Mama's." I promised Hiroko I wouldn't put it on the menu, but if Yuuri asks for it my head chef knows it's for him."

"Hiroko?" Victor cocked an eyebrow.

"Yuuri's mother? You've been together for almost a month and he hasn't brought up his parents?" Minako stared him down with a critical eye, ignoring Yuuri's wide eyed panic as he choked. "You alright, Yuuri? How's it taste?"

"Delicious as always." he swallowed thickly. "Victor, you wanna try?" he began scooting the bowl across the table with a screech.

Victor chuckled with a nod, catching a small piece of pork loin and some egg on his chopsticks. They could only describe Victor's reaction as love at first bite. "Wow- Amazing!" he scooped out a little bit of everything with his fork to fully appreciate the palette. "This must be what God eats!" he paused upon hearing the pair's snickers. "Got a little excited. Yuuri, take back your bowl before I eat it all." and went to snatch up a drunken lobster roll and pop it in his mouth.

Minako whispered something in Japanese that made her student blush another beautiful shade of red before he returned to his katsudon.

As the evening closed, and all three decided dessert was not needed, Minako walked the two down to the car. "Victor, call me next week about a possible collaboration- I think it'd be a fantastic addition to the menu. And as for you," she pointed to Yuuri before pulling him into a hug. "Call me if you need anything. Seriously, anything. I'll see you soon!" and with a final wave she made her way back into the restaurant.

The ride back to Yu-topia was in near silence, Victor shifting gears and Yuuri tapping away on his phone being the only signs of life.

"Yuuri." Victor finally breaks twenty minutes in. "Did Minako think we were on a date?"

Yuuri gaped, turning in his seat to face Victor head on. "Nononono! Uhhhh, communication barriers are a pain you know! From Japanese to English and then you're trying to process it back to Russian, nothing translates perfectly she doesn't think we're dating, absolutely not-!" and then the ping of his cell phone distracted him. It was a tag. From Minako's Twitter page.

She must have taken it right before she called him out. Yuuri was tapping his idol's menu with a chopstick and Victor... well, Victor looked quite enamored, actually.

 _Had the chance to crash Katsuki Yuuri's first date in eons. Kawaii janai?!_ the caption read. He had only hoped that she was sensible enough to- nope, she had tagged them both. All color had drained from his face and he suddenly regretted eating so much.

"Yuuri? What's wrong?" Victor turned to face him at the red light. "You don't look well."

Only Yuuri didn't have the chance to say anything as a call rang through the cabin. Some name in Cyrillic. Probably Yuri ready to throttle them. Or Yakov complaining about their lacking work ethic but eagerness to go out and drink. Or maybe it was a girlfriend, or hell a boyfriend, Victor never bothered to mention. Oh god, he was dead. Or as good as dead. He prayed a car would crash into them- not to kill them, just to stop Victor from taking the call. And maybe cause amnesia.

Just his luck. It didn't happen.

"Hello?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French Kiss Martini: Soju, pineapple infused sake, fresh muddled pineapple and raspberry, with elderflower liqueur. (DO NOT TRY RECREATING THIS IF UNDER 21/LEGAL DRINKING AGE IN YOUR RESPECTIVE COUNTRY)
> 
> Godzilla Roll: Spicy kobachi salmon and cucumber wrapped with avocado, sweet miso sauce & eel sauce
> 
> Drunken Lobster Roll: Lobster tail tempura, light cream cheese, basil, topped with snow crab leg, served with a port wine sauce & lemon cream sauce.
> 
> Fantastika: fantastic (Russian)
> 
> Kawaii janai: is it not cute/aren't they cute (Japanese)


	6. Vkusno, пропал

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor is stripped of his identity, while Yuri struggles to reclaim his own.

"Hello?"

"Vitya." a deep, rough voice shot through the car.

"Yakov? You never call after hours- what's wrong?"

"The shop-" he choked, "I don't know how to say it- он пропал."

"пропал?" Victor echoed.

"огонь." Yakov spoke in absolutes. "I was driving past to the grocer and it was already in the dining room. I called the fire department, but the damage was done. You- you need to come down here."

Victor glanced at Yuuri, who only nodded, before making a hasty U-turn and mercilessly flooding the gas.

* * *

"Tonight a possible arson investigation is underway after the torching of a local celebrity's bakery. Vkusno Patisserie, on the corner of Rose and Market Street, is the headquarters of celebrity cake decorator Victor Nikiforov. Suki Sanchez is live on the scene for us tonight. Suki?"

"Hi Nelson, police aren't telling us much about the cause of the fire as it is currently under investigation, but what we can tell you is emotions have run high throughout the neighborhood.

Twenty-seven year old Victor Nikiforov is originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, but has made San Francisco his home over the past ten years; including the former bakery now popular cake decorating business Vkusno Patisserie."

"He's the last person this should've happened to." an older woman choked back tears.

"Marilyn Sanchez, owner of The Sweet Haven Supply Store just a block away, has known Victor for the past five years as both a client and a friend."

"He's such a good man, always gracious, wouldn't hurt a soul. Whoever did this had obviously never met him."

"SFPD and SFFD were called out around 9:30 this evening, by the time they arrived at the scene it was a loss along with everything inside. Thankfully, no one was inside the building.

And police are now looking into security footage for any possible suspects, arson has not been ruled out. We requested comment from Mr. Nikiforov's team, but did not receive a reply before broadcast. Reporting live from Vkusno Patisserie Suki Sanchez KPIX 5 News."

* * *

"Vitya, we can deal with the insurance and everyone else in the morning, you need to rest!" Yakov turned off the television as Victor paced through his condo for the umpteenth time that evening. "What's done is done. We can only move forward."

Victor's lips were set in a thin line, his voice filling the room and hanging in the air. "Яков. Все, что я работал в направлении ушел. Это не сломанная нога или ушиба ребра или любой из других травм, которые я имел в своей жизни. Это постоянный! Это смерть!" 

"Витя мы прошли через это время и снова-!" 

Yuuri sat in the kitchen dumbstruck. Aside from the not so friendly rapid fire conversation in Russian, both his and Victor's phones were vibrating incessantly. After a moment of contemplation he made the executive decision to turn them off. Yakov and Victor could write statements and return calls in the morning. Right now all Yuuri wanted was to comfort him in whatever way he could.

In fact, Yuuri was so wrapped in his own thoughts he didn't notice tears pooling at cerulean eyes."Yakov- you don't think Yuri did this. ...Do you?"

The accountant's face softened slightly. "Oh Vitya. I don't think Yuri would dare. He may be angry right now, but he would never do something so rash. Come, to bed with you. I will take Yuuri home-"

"No!"

Two distinct, accented voices rang out. All three were taken aback, Victor by Yuuri, Yuuri by Victor, and Yakov by both.

Victor sniffled and unhitched his ponytail, pin straight hair kinking at the nape of his neck "No, I don't want to be alone right now. If he can stay-"

"Of course I'll stay!" Yuuri padded into the living room, "And Victor, you can use my bakery as much as you need to while you rebuild the shop and-"

"Who said anything about rebuilding the shop?" Yakov cut in. "Vitya has taken on less and less in regards to the bakery over the years. Yuri was supposed to take over daily operations, but now he's a wild card. This part of Vitya's career was nearly over anyway. From a financial standpoint, even with the insurance money, this has serious potential to ruin him if the public doesn't return. The kitchen here is up to code, he can do whatever orders he decided to take on for the year under the cottage law. His main income has been his sponsorships and appearances for nearly three years now, anyway."

Yuuri forced himself to stay composed. How could Yakov say that with a straight face? "With all due respect, you shouldn't mention that to the police. ...They'll think you did this for the insurance." he quickly added before Yakov's scowl turned into an even line in understanding.

"Yuuri's right. Until the fire department tells us the cause, we won't talk. Yakov will deal with the insurance in the morning, and we will stay here." with a grunt, Yakov showed himself out. "I have a spare bedroom around the corner, I'll grab sheets." he made his way to the linen closet before the younger man snatched him by the arm. "Yuuri?"

He huffed slightly, his cheeks turning fifty shades of pink. "Did you want it to be a date."

He sighed, pulling out of his grasp. "That doesn't matter now, we need to sleep."

Yuuri grabbed him again, this time staring at him dead on. "This isn't your fault Victor. I know you're thinking if you had stayed late or if Yurio hadn't left the way he did you could've avoided it. It was probably a gas leak or someone lit a dumpster fire- Victor I'd blame it on the drought first before I blame Yuri! If it means anything I wouldn't trade tonight for any- HEY!" and before he could process it Victor had tackled him to the floor with a "whumph!"

"Thank you, Yuuri."

"Ah, anytime."

"...can we just sleep here? I don't think I can move."

The younger man sucked in a breath, "Grab a blanket and some pillows and I'll think about it." he could feel his idol smiling into his shoulder as Victor felt for the throw pillows and blankets on the couch.

* * *

"Yuri- Where have you been?" Otabek finally got ahold of his friend around midnight.

"I'm in Vancouver. No, I don't know anything about the fire, no, I wasn't in the area. My flight left at noon." Yuri sat on his leopard print suitcase in the middle of Vancouver International Airport in the departure terminal.

He raised an eyebrow, "Vancouver? What are you doing in Vancouver you need to come home-"

"I am going home. It's just my layover."

"...You're going back to Russia." it wasn't a question, but a statement.

"I know I mentioned Grandpa getting sicker. But Lilia isn't as young as she used to be either. I want to spend as much time with them as I can- I've wasted enough time on him." he walked towards the gate, Lufthansa flight 65 from Vancouver to Moscow.

"I understand that." he grit his teeth, "But you need to tell Victor. Please."

"When I land in Moscow. I'm boarding. Ciao." and adjusted his iPhone to airplane mode before Otabek could call him again.

The older man resisted the urge to smack his phone against the wall, Yuri's tendencies were rubbing off in the worst way. Instead he hastily texted Victor an update, grabbed his charging cradle and went to bed. Damage was done, he thought bitterly, Yuri was practically an adult, he could make his own decisions. "We'll deal with it in the morning." he mumbled to the ceiling as sleep took him under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me. :/
> 
> Cottage Law: allows residents to produce "low risk" goods out their kitchens- normally desserts (including cakes) and other baked goods for profit up to a predetermined amount before being taxed. San Francisco does have the cottage law up to $50,000. 
> 
> он пропал: It's gone (Russian)
> 
> огонь: Fire (Russian)


	7. The Apartment, Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor opens up about his past, Yuuri opens up his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This poor chapter has been sitting in my drafts for two weeks. Whoops.
> 
> Enjoy!

There were three facts Yuuri used to chant whenever his anxiety got out of control.

The sky is blue  
The water is wet  
The sun will rise tomorrow

And he hadn't been wrong yet.

So when he woke early to the sun rising directly east of the apartment window with deep hues of purple giving way to streaks of pinks and blues, Yuuri was confident it would be a better day.

That is until he saw Victor, with a topknot kill him _now_ , already awake with his phone cradled against his shoulder and realized he couldn't avoid his own phone for much longer. As soon as it booted up he could see the ticker on his messaging app rising steadily and his voicemail was just as bad.

Phichit's voice was void of emotion. "Hey Yuuri-"

"-I can't get ahold of Victor-" Georgi Popovich explained.

"-his inbox is full." Kitt sounded as if she had been crying.

"It's so sad-"

"-something like this could happen-"

"-to someone we admire."

"Some more than others." Minako gave a dry, sad laugh. "Can you just tell him I'm-"

"-very-"

"-truly"

"-deeply-"

" ** _Sorry_**."

 _END OF MESSAGES_.

Had Yuuri even said he was sorry? No.

Victor sighed and hung up the phone with a simple thank you before his hands were were back in his hair- a tic Yuuri had noticed in the past but paid no mind.

Turns out Victor handles his anxieties just as well as Yuuri does.

The younger man propped himself up on his shoulders before announcing he was awake. "Morning."

"Good morning Yuuri." the older man smiled slightly, a cup of black coffee in hand. "Sorry I didn't get you to bed but-"

"Totally fine, my back needed to be adjusted anyway." he stretched and cracked his bones like clockwork before joining his highly possible, yet slightly less probable, lover in the kitchen. "Uh, Georgi, Phichit, Minako, and Kitt all send their condolences." he raised his phone halfheartedly.

Victor took a sip of his coffee, "Funny how that happens."

"Hm?"

"Almost every baker and decorator I know has called to either offer their help or console me. But my family? Not a word. Not even a text. ...But then again they're probably waiting for me to call first." the mug rattles when placed on the marble countertop. "Yuuri, have I ever mention my parents?"

"I know nothing." Yuuri shrugged.

"My parents are Alexei Nikiforov and Natasha Stepanova. ...That probably means nothing to you since you don't skate-" he starts again. "They were a power couple, and real life couple, in pairs figure skating in the 80s." Victor starts. "They won at the '88 Olympics in Calgary before a gossip column claimed Natasha was seeing another figure skater."

Yuuri was preparing his coffee by the island. "What was his name?" he took a sip to taste.

Victor smiled sardonically. "Veronika." the younger man began sputtering and choking, which forced him to chuckle, "To silence the rumors, he proposed and they married maybe a month later- if that. Nine months later my sister and I came along."

His brows knitted in confusion. "I didn't know you had a sister," let alone a _twin_ sister. How cliché.

"Her name is Mischa and she looks nothing like me." he smiled fondly. "She's older than me, never lets me forget, born Christmas Eve at eleven fifty two. I was born Christmas Day at twelve o five." Yuuri couldn't help but smile at the obvious adoration he had for sister. "We were brought up to be figure skaters. We even practiced as pairs. It made them, and more importantly the media, happy that the Nikiforov legacy would live on."

"But you're not, uh, you know- five time world champion Victor Nikiforov!" Yuuri mock cheered. "So what changed?"

"Right before we were about to enter the Junior Circuit Mischa told our mother she wanted to quit. That it wasn't fun anymore. I had never seen, nor have I since, someone look so sad as Mother did that day. They asked me if I wanted to continue, I said no, and that was the end of it.

"I had had some pretty nasty injuries anyway, they knew I wasn't going to last. But Mischa? No, Mischa took to skating like fish to water. She could have been an Olympian, she could have taken over the figure skating world if she wanted to. I'm not saying this as her brother I'm quoting the coaches and skaters who would watch us practice. I won't repeat what they said about me.

"So two months later our parents filed for divorce, Mother took us both to Switzerland to coach a figure skating club with who we knew then as Tante Veronika. And as for Father... He started over with a new wife. We apparently have a ten year old half brother- Alexei Jr."

Yuuri quietly processed the information. "So how does that bring you to now?"

"Ah, yes." Victor's smile grew as if he forgot why they were talking about it at all. "Well, Veronika loved to bake and I was fascinated. She would give me recipes she could never get right and I could perfect them in a day. I went on to make my own recipes and forced everyone in the neighborhood to try- more successfully than not.

"When I was fifteen I applied to one of the top culinary arts school in the country. They brought me on tentatively, most of their students were in their early to late twenties, they didn't think I'd keep up. But I did." he winked. "And graduated a semester early at that. I packed up and came to California for an apprenticeship with Duff- yes _that_ Duff." Victor grins when Yuuri's jaw goes slack.

"They only teach you recipes and discipline in culinary school. Decorating is most, if not completely, trial by fire and error- well you of all people know that." Yuuri laughs at Victor's comments. "Duff's apprenticeship opened _so_ many doors, especially within the Food Network. And Fat Daddio's didn't hurt either." he nods over his shoulder to the pans and tools fastened to the wall. "I'll give you my spares once this all calms down."

"Victor don't talk like that right now." Yuuri frowned, his eyebrows still knitted in concentration. "But wait- that doesn't explain how you ended up with the bakery?"

Victor's smile grows more fond, more boyish. "Ah, well... Five years ago this nice Latina lady decided she didn't want to run her shop anymore. Wanted to go in a different direction. So she sold me the store as it was and I transformed it into Vkusno. I talk to her almost every week, she's doing pretty well for herself."

The metaphorical lightbulb over Yuuri's head is flickering. "What was it called before- Vkusno, I mean."

"The Sweet Cottage." 

Yuuri frowns, it's  _nearly_ there. "Sounds very similar to-"

"The Sweet Haven? That's because Marilyn didn't want to confuse anyone." the Russian's smile widened as the lightbulb glowed brightly over Yuuri. "She wanted to provide a store for both home bakers and professionals. The first year I was an unofficial spokesman. I also taught basic classes, which brings us to what I do now.

"But now that Kitt's older, when they opened she was barely old enough to drive, Marilyn travels with me for trade shows and events while Kitt stays and runs the daily operations at their shop. I had hoped Yurio would one day be my Kitt per se. Someone I could trust wholeheartedly to do right by me." he clears his throat before sounding too melancholy.

"You know for someone we see only once or twice a week, she pops up quite a bit." Yuuri deadpans.

"You've only run Yu-topia for a couple of years- I've watched her grow up!" Victor pouts. "We've bonded through gossip and everything that has nothing to do with baking. Fashion mostly." he admits with a blush across the bridge of his nose. "If I hadn't been a figure skater and if I wasn't a cake decorator, I think I would've made a fantastic designer." 

The younger man tilted his head with a fond smile. "I can see it. A-and don't worry about the gossip, when I see her we do too." the pair laugh. "Actually- we don't gossip so much as we vent."

"Ah, yes." Victor nods thoughtfully, wisps of hair framing his face just so.

Yuuri rambles on anyway. "Like right after SoFlo when I had a ton of orders for the upcoming weekend, I was so angry that Phichit hadn't started anything... We ended up rush ordering from Caljava and I hate doing that-"

"Because you like having control over everything and anything when it comes to your cakes." Victor parrots unintentionally. "I know. I came in that morning looking for you. I wanted to congratulate you on your piece, but she said you sent in Phichit you were so tired."

The younger man blushes pink. "You did?"

He nods with a guilty smile, like he knew something the other didn't. "Yeah, I did. ...Yuuri did that couple like their rainbow peonies?" ah, there it was.

He blanched. "How do you know about that."

"Kitt mentioned it and showed me the picture, I had them dried by sundown." Victor isn't the king of flowers for nothing, "I know what it's like to overwork yourself; I'm more surprised you hadn't realized I did them. How many people do you know whose name starts with a V?"

"...You mean a B? The card had a B." Yuuri frowns.

Victor mimics him with a huff, "No, no I couldn't have- do you still have the card?"

Yuuri conveniently has a picture of the opened box on his phone, three of the six flowers untouched, and the card does in fact have the initial "B."

Victor blinks once, twice, three times. "...Wow. My hand must have slipped into Cyrillic- ah, the Russian alphabet. See, this is my name in English." he scrawls "Victor" quickly yet legibly. "Cyrillic." he puts more care into "Виктор." Yuuri laughs like he's been told the best punchline in the world.

The older man continues tentatively. "...We gossip about you too, you know." the laughter turns to a choke. "I never seemed to catch you in the shop after that one time in January, but she would tell me what you had planned for the week, what you liked, what you hated, what you wore that day- don't give me that face she dressed you very nicely last night."

"She meddles, that's what she does!" he takes another gulp of his coffee as Victor's own laughter come in spurts and before either realize it the Russian man has pecked him on the lips. "Ah, Victor-"

"I thought we were having a moment. It seemed right." Victor simply shrugs.

Yuuri glances around, suddenly the monochrome motif is warmer and Victor's silver hair shines platinum. "...Yeah. Yeah it does, doesn't it?" and that's all the permission Victor needs for recapturing Yuuri's lips in a kiss.

It's not shy, but by no means is it dominating. They turn to sweet, more drawn out, tactics. Yuuri notes Victor tastes like Bavarian cream and coffee. He only hopes his own taste is coffee and no traces of morning breath until strong, dry hands hands are carded through his hair and suddenly that fear dissipates. 

_Victor's kissing me._

_I'm kissing him **back**._

The Russian breaks the kiss ruefully and Yuuri can't stop himself from emitting a small gasp. "Unfortunately we can't stay like this all day. I have a meeting at noon with the insurance, and you need to get to the shop. I'll drive you home." 

Yuuri hates to agree, but nods regardless.

* * *

Mari greets them at the door and gives brief condolences before Victor is off into the city. "Didn't expect you to be out all night." she slips into their native tongue

"Oh I didn't either. I was going to take a taxi home but Victor looked so sad- distraught." Yuuri reciprocates though lost for words. "...We kissed."

"WHEN?!" Phichit rounds the counter like the back room is on fire. For what little Japanese he knew, he made sure to know key terms. "Kiss" being one of them.

"This morning. Yes he's a very good kisser, no I won't say anything else about it." Yuuri cuts back to English as the two snicker. "...I have to work with him for another six months." he stares at the wall. "I don't know if it was due to him being emotionally... compromised. Or if he really wanted to kiss me."

"It's your anxiety talking, you can't make Victor do anything he doesn't want to." Mari firmly states while Phichit nods adamantly. "Now get in the kitchen, you wasted your whole afternoon and you still need to color that fondant for Friday's cake."

Yuuri groaned. "It's purple, I hate purple. Why don't they just want white? It'd be better white."

* * *

"Vitya nooooo~!" a woman's voice gushed over the Bluetooth in Victor's car.

Victor's Russian rolls off his tongue. "Yes Mischa- I kissed Yuuri. The one I was telling you about. He was so shy~!"

"Mama will be angry you didn't mention him earlier." his sister warns, the Russian language makes everything more threatening than teasing. "Oh! She and Veronika want to visit now that your schedule has opened up- again, I'm really sorry about the shop." 

"I called the lawyer, it was pure chance." Victor frowns slightly as he turns down Market Street to what little is left of Vkusno. "The lawyer wants to press charges, but I'm not sure yet."

The tenants next door, some random federal contractor, had set up a faulty electrical outlet and it burned through the wall. While they suffered a blown out wall and smoke damage, his livelihood  was ash and dust. The landlord might just condemn it and turn it into more parking.

And the fact that he finally paid off the mortgage last year didn't go unnoticed.

"Vitenka are you even listening to me?" Mischa whines. 

"Nope." he chides himself. "I mean- lost in thought." 

"Mama wants to know where Yuri is in all of this- Plisetsky." 

Victor taps his chin thoughtfully. "Good question- not sure."

"What do you mean not sure?!" she cried. "You better find that kid before he does something stupid!"

* * *

The IV drip taps away mercilessly.

The clock ticks on.

Yuri notes the room smells so sterile his nostrils burn, a far cry from the sugar and enticing flavors of Vkusno. The room is void of all color, instead varying shades of white and grey line the walls. It makes the faded green blanket in Nikolai Plisetsky's lap almost as vibrant the day it was made.

Almost.

"Yuratchka?"

A few tears slide down his cheek as he clears his threat. "Privet, dedushkoy." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're getting somewhere! Next chapter will be up by Wednesday!


End file.
